This invention relates generally to turbine engines, and more particularly to a system and method using heat pipes for transferring heat within a gas turbine engine.
In gas turbine engines, especially high bypass turbine engines, exposed components such as the splitter nose and booster inlet guide vane (IGV) leading edges can accumulate ice during operation. Ice accumulation within the engine and over exposed engine structures may be significant. The accereted ice may partially block the fan flowpath and render the fan unstable. The accumulated ice can also be suddenly shed, for example through continued operation of the engine, a throttle burst from lower power operation to higher power operation, or vibrations due to either turbulence or asymmetry of ice accretion.
Various prior art methods exist for limiting ice accumulation during engine operation, for example, running the engine with an increased operating temperature, directing high temperature bleed air from the engine compressor to the exposed surfaces, spraying the engine with a deicing solution prior to operation, and heating surfaces using electric resistance heating. However, all of these methods have various disadvantages. The increased operating temperature and the bleed systems may decrease engine performance. Such systems may also require expensive and heavy valves to turn off the flow of the high temperature air during take-off and other high power operations to protect the engine. It has been estimated that the specific fuel consumption (SFC) penalty associated with a bleed air configuration can be as high as 1%. Deicing fluid provides protection for only a limited time. Electrical heating requires large quantities of electricity for performing the de-icing operation and may require additional electrical generators, electrical circuits and complex interaction logic with the airplane's computers with the attendant increased cost, weight and performance penalties.